Athletic ball.



T. A. & J. OLIVER.

ATHLETIC BALL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

5 2 W M d 6 t H DU ATV a P INVENTORS ATTORNEYS WITNESSES T. A. & J. OLIVER.

ATHLETIC BALL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6.1912

new

Patented May 25, 1915.

2 SHEETSHEET 2.

games, such as for example,

twelve or eighteen THOMAS A. OLIVER AND JAMES OLIVER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ATHLETIC BALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed June 6, 1912. Serial No. 702,000.

To all 211720222. it may concern Be it known that we, THOMAS A. OLIVER and JAiirns OLIVER, both citizens of the United States, resid ng in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new. and useful Athletic Ball, of which the following is aspecification.

Our present invention relates to balls of the type which are employed in athletic base ball, basket ball, football, and other games in which a ball is employed.

Our invention consists of a novel construction of an athletic ball which is made up of sections of leather or other suitable material which are adapted to co-iitand be secured together in such a man- I ner that the ball will retain its contour and will not become distorted due to the severe usage which balls of this character receive.

It further consists of a novel construction of a ball in which the cover is made up of oblong sect-ions, an equal number of which are employed on opposite sides of the ball in order to equalize the strains to which the ball is subjected, the edges of the sections being turned inwardly and stitched to the adjacent edge of an adjoining section and the cover thus formed being adapted to hai e inserted therein a bladder which may be in flated in the usual manner.

t further consists of a'novel construction of a ball made up of twelve sections, each section being curved at its ends on one side and having one side substantially straight and all of the sections having the same contour, thereby enabling the sections to be cut from a piece of material with a minimum amount of waste, material.

It further consists of other novel features.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention we have shown herein different embodiments thereof which we have found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results although it is of course to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which our invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that our invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these in'strument-alities as herein set forth.

Figure 1 represents a development of the cover. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of one of the sections in detached position. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the completed cover. Fig. at represents a plan view of a portion of the ball, showing certain details of the construction. Fig. 5 represents a plan View of another embodiment of our invention in which the seams are curved at the ends and at one side of a section. Fig. 6 represents a development of the cover of another embodiment of our invention. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of the completed ball, the sections of which are shown in Fig. 6.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings:-As will be seen from the drawings, our novel construction of ball is made up of oblong sections, a plurality of which are employed and since very advantageous results are obtained in practice with a ball made of either twelve or eighteen sections, we have illustrated both forms of construction.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to inclusive, 1 designates a ball embodying our invention. the same consisting of twelve sections, 2, 1, 5, (3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 respectively, each of which preferably have the same contour. As will be understood by reference to F 2, each section is provided with a substantially straight side 14 with slight curvature at the ends of a section, the opposite side of which is curved inwardly as at 15 while the ends 16 and 17 respectively are curved in such a manner that they converge toward the curved side 15. Two of the sections, such as for example the sections 2 and 3 have an opening 17 thcrebetween on opposite sides of which are apertures 18 adapted to receive a lacing 19 in order to properly close such opening. The edges of all of the sections are preferably turned inwardly and stitched together. The juxtaposed edges of the sections 2 and 3 on opposite sides of the aperture or opening 17 are secured stitching 20 and one end of the sections 2 and 3 is secured by means of a line of stitching 21 to the section 6, while the opposite ends of such sections 2 and 3 are secured by means of a line of stitching 22 to the section 8. The curved side of the section 3 is secured to the sections 4t and 5 by a line of stitching 23. The curved side of the section 4t is secured to the ends of the sections 6 and 7 by a line of stitching 24. The opposite side of the section 4: is secured by a line of stitching 25 to the adjacent side together by a line of of the section 5. The sections 8 and 9 are secured to the adjacent side of the section 5 by meansof a line of stitching 26, it being understood that the edges of the sections, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are secured to the juxtaposed edges of adjacent sections in a snnilar manner'by a line of stitching.

27 designates a tongue secured by a line of stitching 28 to the section 3 .adapted to cover the slot 17, said tongue being provided with an aperture 29 through which the tube of the well-known bladder (not shown) is adapted to extend, the purpose of the tongue 27 being to protect the bladder.

The cover thus described may be filled with "material ofany desired nature, although in practice we preferablyv employ an inflatable bladder in case the ball is to forming a uniform curve as at 15 in Fig. 2

the same wouldbeprovided with a plurality of curves 32 and33 in order to receive the ends of adjoining'sections and form a round ,"Iball it being understood that each section is constructed in a similar manner.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 6 and 7,

we have shown a ball which is made up of eighteen sectious'and instead of havingtwo opposite sides 37 and 38 thereof substantially parallel, the ends 39 and 40 forming a uniform curve with the ends of the sections 34 and 36. Itwill of course be understood that in the embodiment. seen in Figs. 6 and 7, the ends of the sections may be rounded corresponding more to the construction seen in Fig. 5 and instead of the curved side of the section forming a uniform curve, the

same would form three independent curves.

Special attention is directed to the fact that in our present invention the opposite sides of the ball are provided with the same Y number of sections so that the entire construction of the ball is uniformand the terial of any desired. naturejmay be employed for this purpose.

7 'It willnow be apparent that we have de- I vised a novel and useful athletic ball which embodies the features of advantage enumers ated inthe statement of invention and the i foregoing description and while we have in the present instance illustrated and described certain embodiments thereof which in practice have given markedand advantageous results, it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of modifications in i various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described our invention,

"what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 7 As a new article of manufacture, a ball cover, consisting of a plurality of sections of uniform size and shape, each section be- I ing oblong and' having one edge curved on a single radius and having theends corre- 1' spondingly curved on the same radius there 85 with, the opposite edges of two sections being secured together, with the curves of the ends continuous of each other in the THOMASA'OLIVER.

. JAMES OLIVER.

Witnesses: I H. S. FAIRBANKS,

C. D. MCVAY.' 

